[.ca] Jeet Kune Do Its Concepts And Philosophies (ISBN 086568149X)

lukewarm:
I have yet to come across a good martial arts book, for some reasons martial artists seems to not come across well in written words or in acting for that matter. Having said that, I like the book for what it is trying to convey; JKD's basic concepts and philosophy, at least the title conveys the content of the book. I've been training in Muay thai/escrima for quite some time and my basic principle has always been the same; keep it simple, fluid and effective. I carried this philosophy to my vocation and life as well. My only critique is the list of arts that are foundation of JKD. But somewhere in the book, Paul mentioned that JKD is what you make it to be. Sort of like a liberal arts education in college; one can major in English, Lit, history, film studies, math etc. I like the JKD concepts that applies to MA. But it is what it is; only a concept of fluid thinking. The key is that one still needs to pick an art that works for oneself--in my case, Muay thai/escrima. And for the streets, I use modified muay thai. After all the thai commandos trained in "real" muay thai for combat.

Outdated:
Seems geared to 3rd grade level readers (big print size, big photos, and lack of focus on subject). It should be just a pamphlet. Half the book is confusing then the other half is confusing techniques (which are fine if you are fighting an opponent who is not hitting back). Author claims to have condensed 20 year of study into this book "as economic as possible". If so, it should be a lot cheaper or he should wait another 20 years until he has a better grasp of what he is writing about. Certified instructor, trained killer, or whatever, you should first understand the principles of writing or convey your ideas more clearly before publishing a book on this or any subject.

Don't bother...:
Save your money and pass on this book. Actually I'm a fan of Paul Vunak and I love his videos but this book doesn't cut it! If you are absolutely new to JKD then you may be interested, otherwise look at some other titles, even Vu's Anatomy of a Streetfight is OK (but padded with large pictures).

A good first book:
This book is great in the opening chapters. This is the section that breaks many a martial arts taboo and discusses developing your athletic attributes the best of your abilities. No crap about strength not being unnecessary or anything like that. Rather just good clear argument about the importance of being a healthy athlete. So the book offers practical, albeit condensed, advice on developing your attributes, strength, speed, agility, perception etc. THere is also a good overview of the strategy utilized by the JKD fighter in a fight. That is all the text section. The technique section just does not further illuminate the message of the body of the text. The pictoral treatment is simply a series of this is how it could go in a fight maybe. This section fails to drive home the greater theme the JKD fighter is operating under. Which is too bad, but hey this is a first attempt to make available in a small volume the take home message of JKD.

A concepts book, not a technique book:
Many people see "Jeet Kune Do" on a cover, and think that they are buying a book which will show them how to punch or kick like Bruce Lee. This book isn't about that. Rather than "how to punch", author Vunak explains the qualities which made Lee's moves stand out from the rest. He then goes on to provide suggestions and exercises which, if practiced (yes,PRACTICED), will help to imbue your techniques with those selfsame qualities. The net result will not make your moves look like Lee's, they'll make your moves better than they were previously. Vunak writes with an approachable, conversational style. The comparisons he draws do much to expand on the points he's making. If you're looking to fine-tune the techniques you already know, this is an excellent place to start.